Weekly Inflation Rises by 0.49% Following Recent Petroleum Price Hikes, Reports Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
ISLAMABAD: The cascading economic impacts of recent petroleum product price adjustments have begun reflecting in consumer markets, with weekly inflation registering a 0.49 percent increase, according to official data.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) released its weekly price-sensitive index (SPI) report, revealing that out of 51 essential commodities, the prices of 19 items increased, 9 items decreased, and 23 items remained stable over the past week.
Weekly Price Variations: Fuel and Food Items
According to the statistical report, high-speed diesel jumped by 7.29 percent, petrol rose by 6.40 percent, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) increased by 3.26 percent.
Among food and everyday essentials, garlic prices went up by 1.94 percent and eggs by 1.72 percent, alongside notable price increases in gram lentils, masoor dal, moong dal, bread, mustard oil, and mutton. Conversely, relief was observed in other food items as bananas dropped by 6.17 percent, tomatoes by 5.66 percent, onions by 4.57 percent, and chicken by 2.33 percent.
Year-on-Year Inflation Trends
On an annual comparison basis, the PBS data highlighted that over the past year, LPG surged by 60.42 percent, diesel by 54.21 percent, and petrol by 48 percent, while electricity charges for lowest-income groups increased by 33.54 percent.
Other yearly increases included chili powder up by 16.37 percent, mutton by 15.86 percent, beef by 12.88 percent, and wheat flour (atta) by 33.27 percent, alongside hikes in bananas, bread, and fresh milk. On the other hand, annual price decreases were recorded for potatoes (down 35.31 percent), sugar (down 20.95 percent), eggs (down 19.31 percent), and poultry (down 15.26 percent), alongside price drops in salt, gram lentils, masoor, and moong dal compared to the previous year.